Sweden

National Education Bodies

Utbildningsdepartementet

Ministry of Education and Research
The Ministry of Education and Research is responsible for the Government’s education, research and youth policy. The Ministry works on issues including school performance, conditions for teachers, study financing and living conditions for young people.

Link(s): Utbildningsdepartementet - Swedish, Ministry of Education and Research - English
Universitets- och högskolerådet (UHR)

Swedish Council for Higher Education

The council (UHR) is a public agency in the field of higher education responsible i.a. for admissions to higher education, information about study programmes, mobility and recognition of foreign qualifications.

Link(s): Swedish, English
Universitetskanslersämbetet (UKÄ)

Swedish Higher Education Authority

UKÄ evaluates the quality of higher education and research, analyses the development, is responsible for official statistics about higher education and monitors compliance with laws and regulations among universities and university colleges.

Link(s): Swedish, English
Myndigheten för Yrkeshögskolan (MYh)
The National Agency of Higher Vocational Education (MYh)
is responsible for all publicly funded courses in vocational higher education throughout the country, coordinates and supports a national network for validation, serves as the national coordinator for EQF.

Link(s): Swedish, English
Skolverket

The Swedish National Agency for Education

is the central administrative authority for the Swedish public school system for children, young people and adults, as well as for preschool activities and child care for school children.

Link(s): Swedish, English

System of Education

The Swedish Education System
Skolverket - The National Agency for Education

is the central administrative authority for the public school system, publicly organised preschooling, school-age childcare and for adult education.

Link(s): About Skolverket - Swedish, About Skolverket - English, About the Swedish school for new arrivalsEnglish

University Education

Chart of national higher education structure

Link(s): The Swedish education system Chart - English
Study in Sweden, Swedish Institute
Learn about Sweden and discover Sweden´s higher education institutions.

Link(s): Study in Sweden - English
University Admissions in Sweden
Apply for courses in all Swedish higher education institutions.

Link(s): Universityadmissions - English
Swedish Council for Higher Education
Introduction to Higher Education, Study levels and degrees, Application process, What´s it like to study in Sweden, Information for asylum seekers etc.

Link(s): Practical information - English, The HE system in Sweden - English
NORRIC The Swedish higher education system
Diagram of the Swedish Higher Education system, overview of types of HE institutions and upper secondary qualifications.

Link(s): Overview - English
Higher Education in Sweden Online version of the annual status report of 2023

In the online version of the 2023 status report, issued by Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ) you can easily search for specific data, copy texts and figures and print pages or create your own pdf.

Link(s): Swedish Higher Education and Research report - English

Recognised Higher Education Institutions

List of recognised higher education institutions in Sweden

This page from UHR contains a list of higher education institutions that participate in quality assurance reviews, have been granted degree-awarding powers and are officially recognised.

Quality assurance in higher education and the granting of degree awarding powers to higher education institutions are the responsibilities of the Swedish Higher Education Authority Universitetskanslersämbetet (UKÄ).

Link(s): UHR list - English, UKÄ database - Swedish
Independent higher education providers lacking degree-awarding powers

This page contains a list of education providers in Sweden lacking degree-awarding powers. The qualifications offered by these institutions neither correspond to any qualifications within the Swedish education system nor comply with the Act Concerning Authority to Award Certain Qualifications (Swedish Code of Statues No 1993:792).

Link(s): UHR list - English (scroll down)

Qualifications Framework

Framework

Sveriges referensram för kvalifikationer (SeQF)

In Sweden, there is a reference framework for all qualifications, SeQF (first link).

There is also a reference framework for higher education qualifications, the Bologna framework. Both of these reference frameworks have an equivalent level at European level.

The second link shows a picture how the reference frames relate to each other and to the levels in the European reference frame.

Link(s): Sverige Qualifications Framework (SeQF) - Swedish, Combined Framework for Swedish Qualifications - English

Self-Certification

Swedish EQF referencing report
The reference report - Referencing report of the Swedish Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning, SeQF, to the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning, EQF - describes how Sweden's reference framework for qualifications and lifelong learning, SeQF, links to the European reference framework for qualifications, EQF.

Link(s): Referencing report 2023 - English
Certification of the Swedish National Qualifications Framework
The Swedish reference framework (adopted in November 2008, was revised in October 2010.

Link(s): Report - English

Quality Assurance in Higher Education

Universitetskanslersämbetet

Swedish Higher Education Authority (UKÄ)is an independent government agency and evaluate the quality of higher education and research. UKÄ are responsible for official statistics and monitor compliance with laws and regulations among universities and university colleges.

First link: UKÄ webpage in Swedish; Second link: QA, degree awarding powers - English; Third link: database over HEI:s in Sweden with degree-awarding powers

Link(s): QA in Sweden - Swedish, QA in Sweden - English, Database - Swedish

Policies and Procedures for the Recognition of Qualifications

Universitets- och Högskolerådet (UHR)

The Swedish Council for Higher Education (Enic-Naric Sweden) evaluates foreign qualifications in order to provide support for people looking for work in Sweden, people who wish to continue studying, or for employers who wish to employ someone with foreign qualifications.

- The first link is about qualifications recognition in Sweden (in Swedish).

- The second link gives information in English about qualifications recognition.

- The third one is a link to our on-line application to apply for an evaluation of a qualification.

Enic-Naric Sweden has developped a Qualification Assessment tool, where you recieve an immediate response of what a foreign qualification corresponds to in Sweden.

Link(s): Recognition in Sweden - Swedish, Regognition in Sweden - English, On-Line application - English, Qualifications Assessment Tool - English

Diploma Supplement (DS) Information

Responsible organisation

Universitets- och högskolerådet (UHR)
Swedish Council for Higher Education
P.O. Box 4030
SE-171 04 SOLNA
Visits: Solna strandväg 132B
Phone: + 46 10470 03 00
Fax: + 4610 470 03 01
E-mail: diplomasupplement@uhr.se
Link(s): UHR Swedish

Additional information:
Diploma Supplement has been mandatory since 1 January 2003 for all state higher education institutions. Since 1 July 2007 the Diploma Supplement is also mandatory for the third cycle degrees. The Diploma Supplement is automatically issued in English. The Swedish template follows the template recommended by the UNESCO/Council of Europe/European Commission.

Information on DS (legislation, template, chart, etc)

Information on Diploma Supplement. Swedish template

From 1 July 2007, a diploma supplement shall be issued with all qualifications and for all levels of education.

The Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) determines what a diploma supplement should include (Ordinance (2012:172)). It should facilitate recognition and credit transfer for a Swedish qualification in case of employment and continuing studies abroad, but also within Sweden.

UHR has issued more detailed regulations for the diploma supplement (UHRFS 2013:9 and 2019:4).

Link(s): Diploma Supplement - Swedish, Information (scroll down) - English

Access to Higher Education

Information about The Swedish education system

Link(s): The Swedish education system - English, Apply for Higher Education in Sweden - English
Q-Entry Online Database

International Database on Higher Education Entry Qualifications - Sweden, with the list of the final upper secondary school qualifications and with the qualifications that give access to Higher Education in Sweden.

Link(s): English
Description of Upper secondary education (Gymnasieskola)

Current structure:

- The current structure of the upper secondary school was introduced on 1 July 2011. There are 6 national programmes leading to the Higher education preparatory diploma (Högskoleförberedande examen) and 12 national programmes leading to Vocational diploma (Yrkesexamen). All programmes are three years in duration. Secondary education is based on the 9-year compulsory school.

- Specific requirements for access to Higher education preparatory programmes are passing grades in Swedish or Swedish as a second language, English, Mathematics and 9 other compulsory school subjects (the required combination of subjects vary according to programme).

- Specific requirements for access to vocational programmes are passing grades in Swedish or Swedish as a second language, English, Mathematics and 5 other compulsory school subjects.

- Requirements for awarding the Higher education preparatory diploma are a total of 2 500 credits, of which passing grades provide 2 250 credits (90%). The following courses are required (with passing grade): Swedish or Swedish as a second language 1, 2 and 3, English 5 and 6, Mathematics 1b or 1c, a pass in the diploma project. The Higher education preparatory diploma from municipal adult education consists of 2400 credits.The Higher education preparatory diploma gives general access to higher education.

- Requirements for awarding the Vocational diploma are a total of 2 500 credits, of which passing grades provide 2 250 credits (90%). The following courses are required (with passing grade): Swedish or Swedish as a second language 1, English 5, Mathematics 1a, foundation courses of 400 credits, a pass in the diploma project. The Vocational diploma from municipal adult education consists of 2400 credits. The Vocational diploma gives general access to higher education only if supplemented with passing grades in the following courses: Swedish, or Swedish as a second language 2 and 3, and English 6. These courses are not compulsory within the vocational programmes, but students can choose to take the required courses within the framework of the programme or expanded programme. It is also possible to take the required courses after completing a vocational programme.

- Folkhögskola (Folk High School) is an alternative form of adult education. Intyg för behörighet till högskolestudier (Certificate Eligibility for Higher Education) can give general access to higher education if certain requirements are met.

Former structure:

- Secondary education in the former structure led to Slutbetyg/School leaving certificate. General requirements for access to higher education for holders of Slutbetyg issued 2010 onwards is a total of 2 500 credits, of which passing grades provide 2 250 credits (90%). The following courses are always required (with passing grade): Swedish or Swedish as a second language A and B, English A and Mathematics A. Slutbetyg/School leaving certificate from municipal adult education consists of 2350 credits.

Link(s): For more information, look up the Sweden pages in WHED - English
NORRIC The Swedish higher education system
Upper secondary qualifications giving access to higher education.

Link(s): English

Post-secondary Non-university Education

Myndigheten för yrkeshögskolan

The Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education is a governmental agency located in Västerås and Hässleholm. It administrates government grants and supervises all Higher Vocational Education in Sweden.

Link(s): MYh - Swedish, Swedish National Agency for Higher Vocational Education - English

Recognition of Qualifications held by Refugees

A portal for new arrivals

This portal is for everyone who is new to Sweden and wants to find information about Swedish society quickly and easily.

Link(s): Guide to Sweden - English
Evaluation of foreign qualifications

The Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) evaluates foreign qualifications in order to provide support for people looking for work in Sweden, people who wish to continue studying. The credential evaluation carried out by UHR aims to describe the foreign qualification in a recognition statement that can be used for these purposes. Here you can find everything you need to know about applying for an evaluation of your foreign qualification. Information is available in Arabic, Farsi and other languages.

Link(s): Recognition and evaluation of foreign qualifications - English
No documentation from your foreign education?

If you do not have any documents of all or part of your foreign higher education, (academic or post-secondary vocational education) there is a possibility that UHR can write you a background paper instead of a recognition statement.

Link(s): Background paper - English

Verification Sources

It is possible to digitally verify degrees issued by Swedish higher education institutions. You can get a verification, as well as information about the degree and its contents.

It is necessary to have the personal identity number (personnummer) of the person whose degree is to be verified, and a control code, which can be provided by the (former) student.

Sharing information about degrees is possible for anyone whose degree is registered in Ladok (the study administration system used by most Swedish universities). It is required that the higher education institution that issued the degree has activated the sharing function in Ladok for students.

To verify older degrees or degrees from institutions which are not connected to Ladok, it is necessary to contact the issuing higher education institution directly.

Link(s): English and Swedish, English

National Information Centres